Bone broth creates a jelly consistency when it cools down, so you can scoop it out with a spoon. It gels up like this because of the gelatin it contains. Gelatin is basically a cooked form of collagen. Simmering your bones in water to make broth extracts collagen from the bones and cooks it into gelatine. So when the broth is cold, it will hopefully go into a nice jelly. Reheating makes it liquid again.

So why is gelatin good for us?

Cyndi O’Meara, nutritionist from Changing Habits says… ‘Gelatin is incredibly healing for the digestive tract as broth works towards normalizing digestion and makes foods cooked in broth easier to digest. It helps to helps to heal, seal and soothe the gut lining and in doing so can be very helpful for reducing intestinal inflammation, reversing leaky gut syndrome and other digestive problems. Other benefits of drinking gelatinous rich broth include strengthening hair and nails, reducing, preventing and healing cellulite and wrinkles.’

Hi! Has anyone used fish heads and carcasses… I only eat fish and have been told I can make broth out of snapper bones..I use the head and bones and, while super delicious, it never seems to go thick and gel… any advise please?

Yes, you can do broth with fish but the cooking time is much shorter – maybe that’s why no gel? If you join the Bone Broth Basics group on Facebook, they will be able to help you. I am not a big fan of fish, so I don’t make it. 🙂